Sony VAIO Duo 13 Review and Ratings

Editors’ Rating:

Our Verdict:
If you're looking for a slider-style Windows 8 laptop/tablet hybrid, the VAIO Duo 13 is the best we've seen, thanks to an improved design and a new Intel "Haswell" CPU. But the keyboard still isn't comfortable, and the touch pad is tiny. Read More…

What We Liked…

Much improved design over Duo 11, while still weighing under three pounds

Good performance and long battery life

What We Didn’t…

Shallow keyboard with small, flat keys

Tiny touch pad

Awkward pen holder

No Ethernet jack

Sony VAIO Duo 13 Review

Introduction

Since the launch of Windows 8 in October 2012, we've seen all kinds of PC form factors trying to offer the best of the tablet and laptop worlds. Sony's VAIO Duo 11 introduced the slider design (also seen in Toshiba's Satellite U925T-S2120), in which a tablet's screen slides backward and up to reveal a keyboard. Sliders offer more stability in laptop mode than hybrid devices like Acer's Aspire P3 or Microsoft's Surface Pro, which connect the tablet to the keyboard via a floppy cover made of fabric or plastic.

The VAIO Duo 13 in tablet, in-between, and laptop positions.

Two downsides of a slider are, first, that the space in front of the screen for a keyboard and touch pad is generally limited, usually making for a subpar input experience. Second, as with other convertibles whose screens aren't detachable, you're obliged to always carry the keyboard with you, making the unit heavier than a pure-play tablet.

Sony has, at least, gotten around the latter problem with the new VAIO Duo 13. At 2.93 pounds, the 13.3-inch slider is barely heavier than the 11.6-inch Duo 11 (2.87 pounds), thanks to a carbon-fiber chassis that generally feels more rigid than the company's VAIO Pro 13 ultrabook.

And thanks to a brand-new Intel fourth-generation Core (codenamed "Haswell") CPU and 128GB solid-state drive, the $1,399 VAIO Duo 13 manages impressive performance and benchmark results, while delivering battery life that would have been unheard-of in a device like this in early 2013.

But the Duo 13's input devices don't impress as much. The keyboard's keys are small, with shallow travel. And the squished touch pad is only an inch high, and a bit too sensitive for our liking. On the other hand, the system comes standard with a digitizing layer and a two-button, pressure-sensitive stylus, which goes a way toward justifying the Duo's starting price.

As an evolution of the slider, the VAIO Duo 13 is the best we've seen, with cutting-edge components that lead to excellent battery life. But to us, at least, it doesn't quite overcome the limitations of the form factor. Those who do a lot of typing would be better off with the company's VAIO Pro 13. And those who really want a good experience in both tablet and laptop modes may want to spring for a detachable system such as Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix—as soon as the Helix is updated with a Haswell processor.